The evening world., 1887-12-03

secrets. His love became O subject of daily
jests and no notice was ever taken OF 1t ex-
cept az o foolish within of o sentimental
child.
Thus matters stood when one fine morning
our student, occupied at the moment in
tracking the game in the woods. heard his
mother call him. He ran up, muddied up
to his waist, his hair soaking with perspira-
ton and tangled like q clump of wheat after
O hurricane.
He found himself in the presence Of two
elderly ladies and q very graceful young girl.
1t was the pink hat" but q pink hat orna-
mented with all the charms Of sixteen sum-
mers ; a pretty. girl, with already budding
miss he had known as If she had really re-
turned from the distant and unknown lands
towards which her image had been steering
for years.
They saluted each other with q momentary
blush, like persons who had never seen one
another, and Emile's mother having asked
him to pluck some grapes for Mile. Jeanne,
he conducted Mile. Jeanne into the garden.
He felt ashamed of being 20 muddy, 30
honely, so little worthy Of being the object
shock to his vanity, and revived all his BASH
~fulness, his childish awkwardness.
The time N the place only served TO ag-
gravate matters. The almost tropical land
scape around them seemed to be sleeping.
but in reality was lying in wait for them,
with thousand enhancing mares for their
steps. Impenetrable foliage, sweet and
cool, enveloped them, the thick grass they
stirred up sent them, as il waited by a mys-
FERROUS fan, Intoxicating pufs of sage and
lavender; the humming music of insects rose
from a thousand invisible Threats accompany
ing their footsteps, singing the mysterious
romance of this waning Provencal summer.
But no, never would ne be able to say e'
two words to her he felt II. He weaker
at the nerve thought of calling her made
moiselle !" in each syllable he saw the begin
ming of an ayowal.
Pale, with compressed lips, the sensitive
youth comprehended thatthe poignant, tragic
ayowal of his love would be- like a clap of
thunder in the midst Of this concert of phys
ical delights, For q moment he had de-
pended on the grapes to tell his story, in the
way he plucked them, in he manner he
handed them to her. She would, perhaps,
divine, by the trembling of his hand, that
they were not ordinary fruit, good enough to
whet a gourmand's appetite, but the grapes
divine of his very heart, terminated in the
mystery of the Sundays of former times,
ripened in the ardent sunshine of his passion |;
grapes full Of grave import and significance.
But. alasl She did hot even see his sombre
looks, his despairing attitude thoughtless
girl, she did not see any ~allusion 70 the past
In these symbolical grapes which he culled
will unheard-of precaution, as II Il was the
most delicate operation in the world.
And all this happened in the most matter
of-fact way hundreds of golden grapes dis
appeared between Jeanne's ruby lips without
giving the least opportunity for a tear TO fall
from Emile's swollen eyes for u sentimental
aspiration to escape him Of all the many he
had massed up In years. 1t was heart
rending.
When all seemed finished he desperately
stammered;
"a" Have Apashss. @aaspsiSella e. oup,,.s,